Page 93 of Try Me

Step Aside

Pearl

Pearl stormed through the kitchen.She’d spent enough time behind the scenes of events like these to feel comfortable in the busy kitchen. She knew her way around the back of the house much better than she did the banquet hall.

Hurrying behind the server’s station, Pearl headed straight down the hall in search of a quiet place to fall apart. She kept her head down, refusing to let anyone see her cry. Spotting the walk-in cooler, she ducked inside and closed the metal door behind her.

The cold air made goosebumps rise along her skin and shocked a gasp from her throat, but didn’t stop the tears from burning her eyes.

She clenched her fists, unsure if she wanted to scream or cry.

The first tear fell, and she had her answer. Pearl swiped it away with the back of her hand. Still wanting to punch something, she slammed her fist into a bag of peas on the shelf. Why was she so angry? It wasn’t because Declan had made a fool of her. It was because she loved him. The way she’d felt when she’d seen Claudia in his arms had driven away any doubt.

The door swung open, and Declan strode inside the walk-in filling the small space with his broad shoulders.

“It’s freezing in here,” he said, shrugging out of his jacket.

Pearl shook her head as he offered the jacket to her. To her mortification, another tear ran down her face. She glared at Declan as she wiped it away.

“Why are you crying?” he asked. “It’s done.”

Declan hooked his jacket over her shoulders before she could protest. The jacket was warm from his heat and smelled like him. Another tear fell. She loved him. Dammit.

Declan pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his jacket. “Here,” he said, offering it to her.

Pearl steeled herself, refusing to shed any more tears. Declan raked a hand through his hair, then rubbed the back of his neck, breathing hard as he stared at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to happen that way.”

“So you knew?” she asked.

Declan glanced up and to the right, then shook his head. “No.”

“You’re lying,” she said, shoving him out of her way to get to the door.

Declan stepped in front of her, blocking her path with his wide shoulders. “Not exactly,” he said.

“But you knew, didn’t you?” Pearl demanded. Seeing Declan kiss Claudia had cleaved Pearl’s heart in two. He’d betrayed her, and worse, he was lying about it. She couldn’t handle any more lies.

Declan scrubbed a hand over his face as he prepared an answer. Pearl grabbed his hand and inspected his swollen, bloody knuckles.

“You’ve been fighting?”

“I punched McKenna.”

“Why?” she asked.

“He’s had it coming,” Declan said.

Pearl took a deep breath, letting the cold from the cooler invade her lungs. She shoved past Declan, reaching for the door. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to get involved with you,” she told him. “I won’t be part of your drama or your lies.”

Declan grabbed the handle before she could open the door. “I fired McKenna. It’s over with him. There won’t be anymore lies,” he said.

“Your whole life is a lie,” she said, pushing him out of the way.

Declan grabbed Pearl and spun her around, trapping her between his body and the cold door. He dipped his head, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Not anymore,” he said. “That’s over.”

“We are over,” Pearl said, arching away as he leaned closer. “We broke up.”

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